Microsoft Delivers Cortana on iOS and Android … in the U.S. Only

If you’re one of those people who doesn’t think that Microsoft should be porting its crown jewels to rival platforms, prepare for a bit of bad news: the firm’s Cortana personal digital assistant is now generally available on both Android and iOS.

Granted, these releases come with a number of caveats. First and most obviously, Cortana is only available today in the U.S. on Android and iOS. Less obviously, Cortana is not as powerful on Android and iOS as it is on Windows PCs and phones, because Microsoft has more control over its own platforms. (There’s no “Hey Cortana” functionality, for example. Or Microsoft Band integration, at least so far.)

(Cortana is also coming to Cyanogen OS, which is an Android derivative, though only on the OnePlus One phone at first.)

But Cortana is here, and in non-beta form. That was a quick turnaround on iOS in particular, as Microsoft only began a very limited private beta just a few weeks ago. But Android users have had access to Cortana in various pre-release forms since the summer.

According to Microsoft, the goal with Cortana on Android and iOS to make sure that its personal digital assistant is available to Windows 10 users, no matter which phone they use. And on that note, Microsoft has just beaten both Google and Apple to market with a personal digital assistant that works everywhere: PCs, tablets, phones, and wearables (with Band).